At the Garissa University in Kenya on April 2nd, 148 people were murdered and at least 79 injured, all by members of an extremist group based in Somalia. The group, Al-Shabab, an Islamist militant group, with ties to Al-Qaeda, was behind the attack, choosing their targets due to their Christian faith. 700 students were initially held captive by the gunman, beginning at 5:30 AM and released 15 hours later.

Since the attack, five related arrests have been made.

The massacre was one of the most deadly in Kenyan history, claiming more lives than the Mombasa attacks in 2002 or the Westgate mall attack in 2013. The only attack more fatal in Kenyan past took place at the United States Embassy in Nairobi in 1998, with extremist al-Qaeda claiming responsibility.

Adding to the horror of this unthinkable tragedy are current reports that Kenyan authorities had prior knowledge of a potential attack on a university in Garissa, some now arguing this massacre was preventable.

News of this horrible tragedy has quickly spread, birthing the hashtags #147notjustanumber* and #theyhavenames on social media sites, as people all over the world mourn and honor those lost. These trends have helped to humanize the victims, showing them as they truly were real people with bright futures.

Following the massacre an official mourning period was held and recognized nationally. Curfews have also been set in Garissa and surrounding areas.

*At the time, only 147 were believed to have been killed